Upcoming Events!

Issue No. 37/August 2026

Coastal Clean Up: September 19th

We are very excited to once again be participating in the Ocean Conservancy's 41st Annual International Coastal Cleanup and hope you'll join us. The International Coastal Cleanup® (ICC) is a global initiative that engages volunteers and organizations to remove trash from the world’s beaches and waterways, all on the same day.

On Saturday, September 19th from 8 to 11 am, Volusia County residents are invited to take part at a host of locations along the beach and the Halifax and Indian Rivers. Registration runs through September 7th and the first 1,000 pre-registered participants will receive a free item featuring the 41st International Coastal Cleanup logo, courtesy of the Ocean Conservancy.

Our teams will be picking up trash and debris along the beachside, through the Highbridge/Walter Boardman area, on the mainland and we'll even have a kayak brigade departing from the Bicentennial Park kayak launch! Afterwards we invite you to join us back at Highbridge Park for lunch and to turn in your buckets and supplies. Please sign up by visiting our "Highbridge Park" Eventbrite page and clicking on the red, "reserve a spot" button. Even if the site says "full" you can still meet us at Highbridge to join one of our clean up teams.

Pre-registered volunteers will also receive a free native tree courtesy of the Volusia County Environmental Management, while supplies last. Even beyond clean-up day, everyone can help protect our waterways by cutting back on waste and single-use products.

CLICK HERE to sign up.

Find Out "How" at the Library

Volusia County Public Library’s How-To Festival is an annual celebration of community-driven learning and sharing, hosted across the County’s six regional libraries.

Held this year on September 12th from 11am to 3 pm, local experts, hobbyists, and professionals will present a diverse range of interactive sessions designed to help residents discover new skills, explore creative interests, and gain practical knowledge. Our volunteers will be on hand to share information about the programs and events we have planned for the Fall -- so stop by and say hello! Ormond Beach Regional Library, 30 S. Beach Street.

ReGrow the Loop Gears Up for Fall

Our first ReGrow the Loop program for fall highlights the important work being done to conserve precious open space in Volusia County. Suzanne Scheiber, Founder of Dream Green Volusia and an advocate for land conservation and policy change, will present "Saving Our Volusia Wildlife with Collaborative Efforts," on Saturday, October 3rd from 10 to 11 am at the Ormond Beach Regional Library.

Black Bears, Bobcats, Panthers, Gopher Tortoise and Scrub Jays all require undisturbed habitat to survive in "Old Florida." Volusia County is one of the most important connectors in the Florida Wildlife Corridor and it is vulnerable to development pressure that would diminish their habitats. Ms. Scheiber will outline the "opportunity areas" that remain for land conservation and the collective efforts that are being made by Dream Green Volusia and the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation to address the most urgent challenges. Mark your calendars now for this very timely presentation!

CLICK HERE to view the complete ReGrow the Loop Calendar for the upcoming months.

Volusia County is also conducting educational environmental programming through its ReGrow Volusia initiative. CLICK HERE to view their full calendar

of events.

Photo by Jean Blom

Save These Dates!

N A T I O N A L N I G H T O U T

October 6th

The Casements - Rockefeller Gardens

R I V E R F E S T
S E A F O O D F E S T I V A L

November 21st - 22nd

The Casements - Rockefeller Gardens

Celebrate the Loop on September 22nd

There may be no better way to celebrate America's 250th birthday than exploring the exceptional roadways that connect our nation’s history, culture and beauty. This September 22nd the Federal Highway Administration will officially recognize the 37 All-American Roads and 150 National Scenic Byways (of which the Ormond Scenic Loop is one) by declaring the day, "National Scenic Byway Day." To be designated as a National Scenic Byway, a roadway must meet the criteria for at least one of six "intrinsic qualities:" archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic. The Ormond Scenic Loop received its designation in 2009 after becoming a Florida Scenic Highway in 2007. We are proud to be counted among some of the nation's most beautiful and inspiring scenic byways!

County Land Purchase to Expand Park

We were relieved when we recently learned that the Volusia County Council approved the acquisition of a 14-acre riverfront property at 4310 John Anderson Drive in Ormond Beach, expanding Highbridge Park and preserving a key gateway along the Halifax River corridor.

According to Volusia County, the purchase was funded through county-wide Park Impact Fees and was approved to address parking shortages at the adjacent 1-acre Highbride Park. Along with parking, the acquisition will increase public access and help reduce congestion around the boat launch area. On the environmental front, the property strengthens a 6,000-acre protected land corridor as it borders North Peninsula State Park and can support future conservation partnerships between the County and State.

With Halifax River frontage, floodplain habitat, and environmentally sensitive coastal lands, the acquisition protects water quality, improves flood resilience, and preserves habitat for native and protected wildlife. We're glad that this sensitive and beautiful section of the Loop will now be protected from private development and hope to be part of the planning process. For questions, visit www.volusia.org/feedback or call 386-736-2700.

August Meeting is

Remote Only

Wednesday, August 26th

5:15 pm

REMOTE ONLY

Please sign on 15 minutes early. We have had some audio difficulty getting everyone online, so our Team will be working out any technical problems before the 5:30 meeting

Microsoft Teams Need help?

Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 234 057 518 381 Passcode: fD3uC3kF

On-line only.

Dial in by phone

+1 850-739-5589,,106381209# United States, Tallahassee

Find a local number

Phone conference 106 381 209#

Drone shot of the Granada Bridge spanning the Halifax River

The Mission of the Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail Byway organization is to protect and enhance the Loop by serving as a focused source of education, community outreach and enhancements projects consistent with our volunteer resources and guidelines of the Florida Scenic Highway and National Scenic Byway programs.